akmal's bike park

akmal's bike park

Sunday, 12 July 2015

Touring: Labis to Seremban - Day 2 (Part 1: Good morning, Muar!)

21.05.2015, Thursday.
Spending the morning in Muar

We got up for solat fajr, showered and got dressed. I didn't feel tired or anything like that, but looking forward for the day ahead. However, the mini mission for the morning is to have breakfast a la Muor. Satay!

the solid breakfast
To my pleasant surprise, Fendi had sent for us a set of simple breakfast - cekodok pisang (banana nuggets) and tea. Latfy was taking a nap and I had some by myself. Not long after that, Mak Nah, another of Latfy's relative came by with a tray of heavier breakfast - nasi goreng telur mata! Fried rice with fried egg. Well, that was really, really nice and truly unexpected although it means we had to alter our morning plan a little bit (and perhaps the rest of the day's too).

Rezeki jangan ditolak, goes the saying in Malay. Never push away something good, sort of. My father would be cheeky with the saying, as he would quip "you have to 'push' it, into your mouth". So we had our breakfast at the homestay and linger around for a while to bring the food down in our stomach and hoping that it'd spare some space for the satay later on.

Kak Bone Homestay


the cosy verandah is a nice place to laze around in the morning;
no direct morning sun
a beautiful timber house opposite the homestay,
lit by the morning sun
We took some time to pack our panniers and rearrange our stuff for the day ahead. Also, I took the opportunity to get my bike ready. Simple ABCD checks - Air, Brakes, Chains and Drivetrain. I discovered that the teeth on my chainring has worn out, but more severe on the first three pieces on my cassette at the rear. The chain is new so I don't want to ruin it by having the worn cassette for long. I had the annoying chain skipping during the ride the day before and found the culprit now. So I guess an inevitable visit to the bike shop later on before we take off from Muar is in the plans for the day.

besides satay, they serve other dishes too.
Open from 7.30 am until 12.30 in the afternoon.
At 9.20 am we took our bikes sans panniers and rode to the satay joint at R&H Cafe, Jalan Maharani, just on the opposite of Muar Bus Stand, next to the overhead pedestrian bridge. It is very nearby, less than five minutes' ride from the homestay.

Latfy enjoying his satay
By this time, the place was already full with customers. We were directed to a table near the front entrance. It was quite stuffy and gloomy, so I went looking for other tables deeper in the restaurant. To my surprise, there's a lot more tables at the back, and much better too. Airy, and brighter. Not long after we sat down, we ordered our drinks and satay. The manner of satay being served here is quite simple. In fact, this was the practice at the famous Sate Kajang long ago. A plate of a variety of satay will be served, about 25 sticks comprising of different satays: beef, chicken and tripe. Later on the waiter would come around and count the number of sticks of satay that you had for you to pay. The rest will be taken back. I myself had more than 10 sticks.
the satay compendium and my iced coffee
"Thank you for choosing us for serving your breakfast.
From the workforce of R&H Cafe. Satay Maharani Muar"
the satay man in action
At about 10.00 o'clock we went off for some sightseeing, and headed to Tanjung Emas. There are many nice old buildings at this part of town. I like the masjid the most. There are also a school, district office, magistrate office, traffic police building, a park, a jetty for riverside cruise and a row of eatery shoplots among others. One can see another beautiful masjid, Masjid Sultan Ismail, on the opposite bank Sungai Muar. I love the area, especially for the vast landscape dotted with many old buildings. Also, the area is with lesser traffic.

Our bikes near the jetty at Tanjung Emas
the river cruise jetty

Masjid Jamek Sultan Ibrahim

Muar District Office
Traffic police building

Latfy entering S2H bike shop at Jalan Abdullah
We revisited the bike shop again from Tanjung Emas to get Latfy's rear hub and possibly a 9-speed cassette for me. Latfy got his, quite some time after the shopkeeper rummaging through the assorted parts box. As for myself, perhaps the dying of 9-speed breed was apparent in the shop. They have only 10- and 11-speed cassettes, new ones.

Me in Muar
As we went back to the homestay to pack up and get ready for Melaka, I noticed a gloomy bike shop on a row of old shops at Jalan Hashim. Less than 200 meters from the homestay. While Latfy went straight to the homestay's toilet, I stopped by the shop to have a look. There, 26" MTBs and old relics are still up for sale. And 9-speed SRAM cassettes too! However, the owner of the shop was not around. I was entertained by his mother who minds the shop next to his. I bargained with her for the cassette which is of the same model on my bike. The price is ok, and I was tempted to get a higher spec for about RM50 more, but heck, that amount of money could be spent on food instead.

Latfy at the traffic light near the bridge to Tanjung Agas
The parts was in my hands, but the only problem was to take out the old cassette and install the new one. As the shop mechanic was not around, I had to do it myself. I had the liberty of going through the (unorganized) tools at the shop. It required some work to find the tools. I found the cassette opener tool, but not the chainwhip. Dang! It was quite some time before I found the chainwhip in the tool chest. So I took the shop's stool, remove my rear wheel and went to work. Et voila! A new cassette and guaranteed no-skip trip ahead. I could have argued to the aunty for some discount as I had to do the labour myself, but I was
 too lazy for more bargaining and was eager to get back to the homestay and pack up for the day's journey. It was drizzling, and it was already 1.00 pm by that time. We were supposed to leave at 11.00 o'clock, actually.

Latfy was already waiting for me when I got back. I packed up and got my bike ready in a jiff. We left Muar for Melaka at 1.30 pm.


#LabisToSeremban

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Saturday, 11 July 2015

Touring: Labis to Seremban - Day 1 (Part 3: Pagoh to Muar)

20.05.2015, Wednesday.
Pagoh to Muar

gayat!
After snacking at Pagoh, we pedaled on towards the final destination of the day to Muar. Some 30 km away. We are going to spend the night there, at a homestay owned by Latfy's in-laws family on Lorong Mastan off Jalan Abdullah.

We went along Jalan Muar-Labis (J32), practically right to its very end (or its beginning?). We passed by Nasuha Herbal Farm, Bukit Pasir, Sungai Terap and Kampung Temiang. Not long after that we arrived at an archway on Jalan Salleh welcoming us to Muar.  It was already 7.00 pm by that time, early dusk. 4 km after that, we reached our destination safely.

a nice looking house by the roadside
slowly reaching Muar
the arch welcoming us to Muar
I felt a bit slow when pedaling towards Muar at Pagoh. We stopped at Nasuha Herbal Farm to check if my brake pads are rubbing on the rim or tyre. None such things. When I turned around and looked back to where we came from, only then I noticed that we were actually climbing a mild ascend. And perhaps I'm already tired by then.

Latfy was looking for a thru-axle rear hub for his mountain bike, so we went on straight to S2H Cycles not far from where the homestay is, at Jalan Abdullah. Naturally, we spent some time (less than an hour - that's pretty quick!) browsing the shop. I bought a pair of spare cables and a rear view mirror for myself, especially for this touring. Also, I bought bottle cage which is adjustable for Latfy to use. It is convenient as it could accept various sizes of bottles - 500 ml mineral water, 500 ml soft drink PET and of course standard cycling water bottle.

Kak Bone's Homestay and its welcoming verandah
At about 7.50 pm we turned back to Lorong Mastan. Latfy's relative, Fendi, was already there to welcome us at Kak Bone Homestay. We had a short rest on the nice, cosy verandah for a while before freshening up. Nothing beats the feeling of cold water splashing on my body and the soap removing dust and dirt from the road. Such simple bliss is very much enjoyable, and I savour the whole 10 minutes of my shower.

spoilt for choice!
We have reached our destination for the day, bodies cleaned and our tummies were famished begging for food. We walked out towards a stall at Jalan Abdullah. A plethora of food at the nasi campur food. They serve lots of delicious dishes to go with white rice and you're spoilt for choice; and they also have different kinds of food to appease your palate should you decide not to have rice - fried bihun, fried mee, nasi goreng, fried kuay teow and nasi lemak. Price is agreeable.

There's nothing much to do after dinner, really. Well, actually we were looking forward for a rest at the homestay; and a good night's sleep. We spent some time out at the verandah to loosen up and relaxed a bit over the hot tea served by the host. Then we retreated into the house and solat, rearranged our panniers and stuff and went off to sleep.

Lights off. Another adventure tomorrow.


#LabisToSeremban


Friday, 10 July 2015

Touring: Labis to Seremban - Day 1 (Part 2: Labis to Pagoh)

20.05.2015, Wednesday.
Labis to Pagoh via Bukit Kepong

the train left for its journey,
and we were to continue ours on our bikes
Latfy and I reached Labis train station at about noon. It is a small station without platform (the station doesn't even have proper perimeter fencing). So we had to disembark using the coach steps. It was not a big hassle to get our things down from the train, although requiring quite an effort for Latfy to hold the coach door ajar. I went down to the ground and Latfy passed our items from the train.

Latfy prepping the bikes and things
The first thing we looked for was the toilet. The station has one, and it is quite clean. While Latfy was in the toilet, I put on the wheels on the bike and set the panniers at the same time looking after our belongings. We exchanged after he went out of the toilet. In 15 minutes We were ready to go.

A local chap approached us, perhaps because we were quite inordinary guys this part of town (and at that time of the day). We chat briefly and took a photo together before he showed us the way out to Muar and bid us farewell.

ready to go!

waiting for the traffic light to turn green for us
We got out to the intersection of Jalan Labis-Muar. It was quite busy and the traffic light didn't favour us. We crossed the road by going with the flow further to the left and waited for a good gap in the traffic for us to pass through to the other side.

It was lunch time, and we were supposed to have a meal. Perhaps because of the nasi goreng that we had, and largely because of the butterflies in the stomach getting excited for the long journey to Muar, we planned to defer until we get to Bukit Kepong. We did stop by a sundry shop to stock us up with some water and snacks just in case.

our destinations for the day
Latfy announced "12.20" when we finally rolled out properly riding up the mild elevation of Jalan Labis-Muar. Short of a topo map, a couple of weeks prior to the journey I tried to gauge the elevation of the route by going through Google Street View. Of course, it is not feasible. But at least I did familiarise a bit up to maybe some 20 km. A teeny bit. Well, the road and its surrounding is much better on bike, I can vouch. Passing along rubber plantation on either sides of the road, we felt cool breeze from the trees and I especially enjoyed the shade of the canopy along certain sections of the road.

We started on a high note, and were full of enthusiasm. I feel the freedom, joy, happy, and many more indescribable feelings happening inside all at once. Perhaps only those who do tourings such as this would truly understand (yes, you have to experience it yourself!).

The mini goal of the journey now is to reach Bukit Kepong for lunch and a little sightseeing. The pit stop is about 30 km from where we started. About two hours if we follow our planned 15 km/h average speed. Well, I tried not to go more than 20 km/h on flat road, but many times it was in vain. At one point Latfy shouted "33 woit!". I'm not sure whether I sped up because of being hungry or being anxious for there are still many, many more kilometers after Bukit Kepong to reach Muar. However, at that point I promised him not to speed, and just roll with a leisurely pace.
#lajulajunakpimana
:D

the (splendid) road was ours
The road to Bukit Kepong is with rolling hills; we climbed one, go down and enjoyed the speed and meet up with another. The journey was quite monotonous, as J32 Jalan Muar-Labis is lined with mostly palm oil trees. Once in a while we came up to housing estates and then again the palm oil trees. Alas, it was not too bad as the sky was overcast and we were spared the hot sun during that time of the day.

the police boat outside the police station, at the riverbank
At 1:55 pm, We eventually arrived at Bukit Kepong greeted by a hill and damp ground. We went straight to the famed police station, but unfortunately the building and its vicinity was under renovation with construction of additional building and features. We went to the nearby jetty and had a look at Sungai Muar. My mind took me back to a scene in the movie Bukit Kepong featuring the police boat going upstream to the jetty. Sort of.

After spending some time taking pictures, we went to a nearby food joint. We ordered nasi goreng cina (chinese fried rice) and milo. It seems to be a standard meal for us henceforth. By the time we took off and continue our journey, it began to drizzle. Out come the raincovers for their duty wrapped around the panniers and top bag.

One milestone achieved, but we need to find a masjid or musollah for our solah. We looked for one that would accommodate our circumstances. Damp boys and their bikes with things hanging on them. We need ample space to park our bikes, take off the panniers and wash up our bodies as well as change our clothes. For security, I brought along my looped bike lock just in case. Perhaps we would find such place in Lenga, on our way to Pagoh.

Masjid Jamek Lenga, our stop for solah
happy grown up boys
The route from Bukit Kepong towards Lenga was nice. It was overcast, and the road is rather flat with not many vehicles running along it. Selfies and carefree riding, as we practically owned the road and I truly enjoyed my ride; grinning all the way. At 3:00 pm, we found a nice masjid at Lenga and we stopped for our solah. We washed up a bit and freshen up for our solah, with dry clothes. I actually felt a bit reluctant to change back to the damp clothes to continue our ride, but I didn't bring many so I spared the t-shirt that I wore for solah back into the pannier.

a brief stop near a junction
towards Pagoh
Now that the essentials were taken cared of, the journey continued and the next milestone was Pagoh some 20 km away from the masjid. The ride was enjoyable. Many, many rolling hills along villages and the road itself lined with big trees. The weather was excellent, alhamdulillah, for the sun was covered by the greyish cloud. Albeit, it was not raining but only cool breeze accompanying our ride.

pisang goreng with sambal kicap 
(hot soy sauce), Johor's special
We reached Pagoh at about 5:00 pm. The road was damp from the rain earlier, and with such weather it would be great if we could have some hot snacks. Not far from the small town center, we passed by a goreng pisang (banana fritters) shack. I stopped and suggested to Latfy for a snack break. He obliged, happily, and we cycled back a short distance to the shack and ordered drinks with goreng pisang. I had a glass of cold drink, and Latfy took in a double helping. Little I knew that it was a much needed break. It was a good one. Perfect goreng pisang and drinks. Little things like these are appreciated more when you're on such a journey, I learnt.

Pekan Pagoh in jawi (arabic letters)


#LabisToSeremban


Wednesday, 8 July 2015

Touring: Labis to Seremban - Day 1 (Part 1: Seremban to Labis)

20.05.2015, Wednesday.
Seremban to Labis

train ticket for the journey from Seremban to Labis
I bought the train tickets to get us from Seremban to Labis a few days before the journey, while on a recce ride. My small birthday present for Latfy. I asked the ticketing officer if there is a surcharge for bringing in bikes. Indeed, it ranges from RM20-30 depending on the journey, to be paid to the personnel on board the train. While I was there, I asked for the station master to discuss about how best to bring along the bikes, panniers and bags. In our discussion he at first would not allow to bring aboard the bikes. However, he did mention that there is a void space on the coach where we could put the bikes. I told him him that we would take off the wheels and bags so as they would not take much space and obstruct the aisle for other passengers to pass. So we agreed with such arrangement.

Latfy drove from KL to Seremban early in the morning while I waited for him at my house, partly anxious but mostly excited. You can always rely on him to be punctual (but most of the time he is early).

our touring bikes ready to roll!
The planned journey for the day is to cycle for about 7 km to Seremban KTMB Station from my house via Ampangan and board the 9.10 am train to Labis. The journey is scheduled to take about 2 hours. From Labis, we'll be cycling to Muar on route J32 (Jalan Muar - Labis). This will take us through small towns of Bukit Kepong, Lenga and Pagoh before reaching Muar. The distance from Labis to Muar is estimated (from Google Maps) to be 85km.

As far as I can recall, I've never been to Bukit Kepong, the town (especially the police station) made famous historically due to the Bukit Kepong Incident, a battle between the local police and communists during the Malayan Emergency after the WW II (it happened on the 23rd February 1950). And the closest I've been to Labis before this was only on the train going to Singapore, when stopping by at the small station to pick up passengers.

Basically, I've never had any romance with any of the towns on this stretch. It is exciting, and a little bit worrying. I guess the worrisome bit is about the terrain. Is it hilly? How about shades, will it be without any and we'll be going to ride under the hot sun? But then again as this is going to be a touring journey, I relegated my worries to be labelled as surprises. Besides, what more can we do?

Latfy rolling in Seremban
So at about 8.00 am we rolled out of the gate of my house on our bikes, panniers and all, towards the train station. I opted the Ampangan route, for it is quiet at this time of the day (moreover, it is a normal weekday). After Ampangan, I detoured a bit to Jalan Penghulu Cantik and we cycled along the road where Kolej Mara Seremban is located and out to a main road, Jalan Zaaba. We crossed the road and cycled along a small trail next to dental specialist building which takes us to Jalan Tuanku Antah. From there we went straight on to the train station.

unloading at
Seremban train station
We arrived at the station in good time, at about 8.45 am. We immediately took out the panniers and bags from our bikes and put them together with our helmets, shoes and water bottles in the blue IKEA bag that I brought along. The wheels were off the bikes and stashed in a separate IKEA zippered wheel bag. Unfortunately I didn't realize that Latfy's bike is with 700c wheels. They are a bit big for the bag. We could only manage to stuff in only one of his and both of mine. The other one had to be hand carried without any bag. So we have with us two frames, One Ikea blue bag, one wheel bag and one loose wheel. I took my bike and the blue bag while Latfy carried the rest. All in one sweep.

anxiously waiting for the train to arrive
Not long after that, we were on Platform 1 waiting anxiously for the train. We didn't exactly know whether the coach on the train is going to be near or far from the spot we were on the platform. It would be a challenge if it is! The train is going to make a brief stop, so we would have to embark the train swiftly. One good thing is that the platform is level with the train door sill, so we don't have to climb the steps to get on the train.

in the train, seated near to our bikes and bags.
When the train eventually arrived (on time!), we were relieved. Our designated coach was just 5 meters away from where we waited on the platform. After passengers alighted from the train, we made our move to get our things into the train. It went without any glitch. Another good thing was that there is a void space next to the door that we went into. No problem in putting our bikes and bags there, they fit nicely without obstructing the aisle. Our designated seats are actually in the middle of the coach, but since there were not many passengers, we took the liberty of sitting nearby our bikes. If the rightful owners would later claim them mid-journey, we'll just have to play our cards and kawtim with them to swap. Alhamdulillah, we didn't have to.

The train ticket conductor made his round and came to us. We showed our tickets and asked how much do we have to pay for the surcharge of bringing along the bikes and other bulky items. He looked at our tickets, and acknowledged that we are going to Labis. While clipping our tickets with his hole puncher, he said to us that the surcharge is waived due to the rather short trip. He's the most handsome person that we ever met that day.

all smiles, excited but anxious
As we had settled down and the train continued its journey, there were two things that we needed to do:
1. eat something for breakfast, and
2. take a leak.

I was informed by the lady janitor that there is no buffet coach, but there is a small vending pushcart in the adjacent coach. I went through a couple of doors and passed by a toilet to get to the pushcart, and bought us fried rice and drinks. They are a bit pricey, but hey, things were all sorted!

at Segamat train station
Nothing much to write about the train ride, as it was quite short. We had our breakfast, kicked back and relaxed. Well, I was not actually relaxed. I was still anxious about the actual cycling that we were going to start in less than 120 minutes.

At one of the stations, the train halted for quite some time as they discovered that the water pump for our coach toilet is broken. They tried to fix it but the attempt didn't do much help. The toilet was duly locked, and we had to wait until we reach Labis to ease our bladders. That actually made the journey a bit delayed. But it was a small problem for alhamdulillah, we were blessed with multiple easiness thus far, in this early beginning of the journey.

#LabisToSeremban

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Sunday, 5 July 2015

Touring: Labis to Seremban (20-22.05.2015) - Prologue

[The Why]
One of the versatility of mountain bikes is that they can be used for road riding. On smooth tarmac. Just change the knobby tires with slicks and you can enjoy speeding on the paved road. Or go slow, and capture the essence of the environment as you roll along the road. For the slower you go, the more your senses could gather and enjoy. The sound, sight and smell.

Perhaps that's the essence and definition of bicycle touring for me. To soak in the environment via the paved road. By that, it also means that distance is not important, rather the route and the place.

 Latfy on a quiet road

Also, as eloquently put by Latfy:
When you travel from place to place
You will begin to realise in your own timely space
Living is not a rush nor it is a race
But breathing life at a slower pace
[The Where]
And so, a year ago I charted on Google Maps the route from Seremban to Plentong in Johor Bahru. Primarily on Route 5, the journey would be along the roads in towns across Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor: Port Dickson, Masjid Tanah, Batu Berendam, Muar, Batu Pahat, Pontian and Masai. These are towns that I have been to, but only by bus and car. In sealed boxes with air-conditioning, rolling on four tires. No treat for my senses except for the sights passing by so fast from the windows when looking outside. Even so, the view is restricted when I'm in the bus for I could only see the view either left or right of the road (with a little bit of pain in the neck).

durians on a tree by the roadside
I wanted to experience the journey across the same road and enjoy the sight and sound of the places. The nice and beatiful traditional houses dotted along the road. The redness (and also yellow) of rambutans hanging on trees. The smell of durian by the roadside, and flowers too, as I stride along. Perhaps of equal joy is to feel and take in the breeze of fresh air as I pedal through the road under the shade of trees lining the empty road. But not under the piercing raindrops. Give me sunshine for I can still go on, but not heavy rain as it is safer to stop.



[The Hiccup]
The planned journey was stalled for a year as I encountered a few small obstacles. One which is very important is safety. The other equally important is a touring partner. The rest is to acquire essential knowledge for a self-supported and self-guided touring, along with the proper bicycle parts and equipment.

The initial plan was to go to PD from Seremban. That means going through Mambau's narrow and winding road, sharing with lorries. So yeah, that small bit made me put the plan on the shelf. Until I saw Rezar and a few more from Perpatih Cycling Community went out touring with their bikes to Singapore earlier this year. So I asked Rezar the route that they took to get to Melaka. It was through Rantau. Rantau is Perpatih's familiar route, being their training ground speeding along on road bikes every Friday night (I've never been with one, though). So that's it, Rantau could be the safe connection for me to cycle from Seremban to get to Melaka. It also means that I will be going through a nice place in Melaka which I really wanted to cycle on: Lubok China (especially Ramuan China Besar).

[The Who]
I've been spending time with Latfy during lunch hours and Friday prayers for quite some time lately. Primarily for (cheap, but good) coffee and sharing cycling stories among others. When I mentioned to him about the gap which is now sealed for the touring route, he exclaimed "aku nak ikut!" ("I want to come along!"). One by one things fall into their places. Alhamdulillah.

[The Change]
The initial route is now changed - Revision 1; instead of going to PD, we are going to Rantau, Linggi, Lubok China and Masjid Tanah to get to Batu Berendam. We'll stay for the night in Batu Berendam at my cousin's house and continue to Muar and Batu Pahat. One night in Batu Pahat and to Pontian the next day, sleep over another cousin's house in Rimba Terjun. The last leg would be to JB through Skudai, and finally to Plentong. The journey would be concluded with a train ride from JB to Seremban the next morning. 5 days and 4 nights, about 326km in total. It is deemed doable for I planned it to be at a pace of 15km/h average and not more that 6 hours riding per day. Perfect.

The route was conceived end of March 2015, and we checked our calendars to fit the days in. We agreed initially to set the date on 13th May. Some time in April we changed the date to a week later as Latfy's circumstances has changed. Early May, Latfy told me that he was offered a short assignment in Kedah which requires him to be there the next day after our long touring journey ends. I got back on the calendar and touring plan, and made a major revamp - Revision 2.

[The 2nd Change]
the revised plan
I did not intend to shift the dates again, rather to make it shorter. Heck, it would still embody the essence of why we are doing the touring. No problem. In fact, it is a pure win-win thing. And perhaps a blessing in disguise, for Allah's plan is bigger than ours.

So I took a fresh look at the plan, and fixed my eyes to Muar. We'll be spending the night there - at a homestay owned by Latfy's MIL. Then I looked at at the train schedule, together with Google Maps and saw how Labis could be our destination, en route to Muar. This warrants another big change, which is to go in reverse. A train ride to Labis, then cycle up to Muar and spend the night. The next day, cycle to Melaka and ride around the town before heading up to Batu Berendam for the night. The third day to Seremban via Sungai Udang, Masjid Tanah, Linggi and Rantau. 3 days and 2 nights, 211km in total (estimated with Google Maps). Perfect for a first touring adventure.

[The Parts and Equipment Hunt]
Kona Nunu
My RTW Machine (Kona Nunu) is the intended rig for the touring. The RiBMo tires are with visible hairline cracks now, so I asked around for a pair of good tires for replacement. Pak Ngah Ishak of Sungai Pelek responded, offering for Schwalbe Marathon Plus. The tires are simply awesome. I also changed the SR Suntour Raidon suspension fork with a Surly Troll chromoly rigid  100mm corrected fork. The other essential gear that I got for touring is a pair of panniers by Eiger. It's not Ortlieb, but does the job just fine. They are for front, but I use it for the rear (only one, though, together with an Ibera top bag). I got it quite cheap, bought by a good friend who went to Bandung. I also bought a Topeak long water bottle cage which could house a normal 1.5L PET bottle. It is more like a drinking water storage rather than a water dispenser. For a dispenser, I fixed a normal bottle cage on the Troll fork and use a 750ml cycling bottle. And the final essential item I (re-)installed the bike stand which came originally with the bike.